Cyclists vs. Traffic lights: The Light Companion

Springlab, an innovation centre that realizes products that activate people, has produced The Light Companion. This innovation ought to smoothen the relation between cyclists and the traffic lights encountered on their daily path through the city.

Springlab
People have designed their life in such a way that movement is no longer a necessity. The technology does the hard work which makes that we are really passive. That may seem pleasant but it is especially unhealthy and even dangerous. And that is why Springlab was founded. They want to counteract this passive trend, which requires innovation and entrepreneurship. Our mission is to bring back physical exercise in everyday life by creating sustainable innovations. Springlab Innovation Agency is therefore also a Social Enterprise. They are committed to the social purpose and a substantial portion of the revenues we generate, we devote to new projects.

Traffic lights
The biggest frustration of cyclists in Utrecht are the traffic lights. There are too many of them and they are not adjusted well. This decreases the attractiveness to cycle in the city. By means of an open innovation collaboration with the municipality, traffic light- and mobility experts and designers Springlab went to look for a solution.

The Light Companion
The Light Companion is the first personal bike traffic light in the world. Every cyclist will be detected individually and per cyclist the companion calculates how fast you should cycle in order to catch the green light. In addition, you will get your own green light to follow (Light Companion). Per cyclist the speed will differ but the speed rates will always be achievable for all cyclists. You just need to follow your personal Light Companion and you will never have to wait for a red light. The expected benefit of the light companion is that it ensures that the cyclists will arrive in groups at the traffic light, because everybody wants to catch the green light. As a result, the waiting time for cyclists can be reduced and the flow of the complete crossway will be increased.